Spot in Stanley Cup Finals on the line for Los Angeles Kings going into Game 7

The Kings' Dwight King is congratulated after his first period goal against the Blackhawks during game six of the Western Conference Finals, Friday, May 30, 2014, at Staples Center. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker/Los Angeles Daily News)

CHICAGO — It’s not a curse, it’s a challenge. It’s not a burden, but so far it’s been a blessing.

The Kings are only the third team in NHL history to play in a Game 7 in each of the first three rounds, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993 and the Colorado Avalanche in 2002. Neither team went on to win the Stanley Cup, however.

In April, the Kings fell behind the San Jose Sharks in the first round, three games to none, looking disorganized and slow afoot before becoming only the fourth team in league history to rally from such a deficit to win a best-of-7 series. The Kings won Game 7 in San Jose.

In May, the Kings fell behind the Ducks in the second round, three games to two, looking determined but ineffective against three different goaltenders before taking the final two games to subdue their Southland rivals. The Kings won Game 7 in Anaheim.

Now it’s June, and the Kings are right back where they started.

Another Game 7. Another one away from home. They’ll face the Chicago Blackhawks in a winner-take-all showdown Sunday night at the United Center. The winner moves on to play the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final.

“I think most guys on our team treat it as an opportunity, an opportunity to do something special, an opportunity to improve yourself, an opportunity to advance and get the better of the team that you’ve battled with for six games,” Kings winger Justin Williams said Saturday. “It’s no different (tonight). We have a huge bone to pick with them, and we’ll leave it all out there because there’s no more after this.”

Instead of playing from behind, and with nothing to lose, the Kings have been caught. They led the Blackhawks in the series 3-1 and then dropped Games 5 and 6 because, among other things, they couldn’t handle the Blackhawks’ smooth-skating Patrick Kane.

Advertisement

The Kings held a 4-3 lead in the third period in Game 5, but Kane helped the Blackhawks take a 5-4 double-overtime victory in Chicago to force the series back to Los Angeles. He had four assists in Wednesday’s game, including on the game-winner.

The Kings held a 3-2 lead in the third period of Game 6, but Kane set up the tying goal and then struck for the winner to give Chicago a 4-3 victory that returned the series to the United Center for the decisive Game 7. He had two goals and one assist Friday.

Kane has seven points in two games after he had only one point in the first four games of the series. It’s an ominous sign for the Kings, although they sure didn’t seem overly concerned after Game 6. Then again, the Kings don’t appear rattled by much of anything anymore.

The Kings don’t throw pity parties and they don’t do the hang-wringing thing when the odds seem stacked against them. Ask the Sharks, who seemed to have their first-round series under control after three straight wins. Or ask the Ducks, who appeared to be in command in the second round.

“I think Game 7s are what hockey is all about as a player,” Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell said. “That’s what you want to play in, a Game 7 with everything on the line. It’s kind of the essence of the game. We’ve had some success in that and we look to continue that and we feel if we do the things we’re capable of doing, and the style of play that we need to against the Blackhawks, we’re going to get the result we want.”